Amid all the brutal barbs Connor Hellebuyck received in his Winnipeg return Tuesday night, an even scarier blow happened elsewhere in Canada.
Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun laid out Senators center Nick Cousins with a vicious hit that ultimately forced the latter’s exit in the third period of Washington’s 3-2 overtime victory.
Chychrun’s hit sent Cousins crashing into the boards and he did not move after falling to the ice amid a chorus of boos. Ottawa’s coach and players did not appreciate the play.
“He’s not doing great,” Senators coach Travis Green said of Cousins, who avoided a hospital trip.
With roughly three minutes left in regulation in a 2-2 game, Cousins carried the puck along the boards while Chychrun came barreling toward him before lowering his shoulder.
The brutal blow sent Cousins off his feet and into the boards back-first before he fell to the ice head-first in dangerous fashion.
Cousins still held his stick while he lay face down on the ice before the referees stopped play amid mini-scuffles breaking out.
Ottawa’s training staff and teammates attended to him after what the TSN announcer described as a “nasty” hit that “blew him up.”
“I should be careful what I say,” Senators forward Ridly Greig said. “I don’t like seeing that stuff.”
Added teammate Thomas Chabot: “I think everybody hates these scenes in hockey and any sport. … Obviously, you’re aware it’s part of the game, but it’s a lot more than the game of hockey and it sucks seeing him like that.”
Chychrun — who previously spent 94 games with the Senators across two seasons — somehow avoided a penalty.
Officials originally gave him a five-minute major, but they rescinded the sanction after a review, which left Green feeling “a little surprised.”
“You don’t usually see it where it goes from a major to no penalty, but I thought it was a head shot to a player that wasn’t ready for it,” Green said. “They must have saw it different.”
Ottawa forward Hayden Hodgson conceded that seeing Cousins hurt affected the team, and Washington ultimately scored the game-winning goal 1:14 into overtime to improve to 10-6.
The Senators fell to 11-6-2.
“He’s a heart-and-soul guy, he’s an unbelievable teammate, and it just took the life out of us,” Hodgson said. “It sucks to see.”
